When I read American Elsewhere, what grabbed me was the concept, and what kept me engaged was the execution. It’s set in a strange town in New Mexico where something is wrong, but it takes its time showing just how wrong. It was a slow read for me, but I don’t think that was accidental. The book is a slow-burn, and I enjoyed the pacing because it lets the unease build.

What I like about Bennett is that his ideas feel structured. The weirdness isn’t random. The mystery unfolds logically, even when dealing with cosmic horror. The town of Wink works because it’s ordinary on the surface and deeply “extra-ordinary” underneath. The story uses that to talk about conformity, nostalgia, and the dark side of the “perfect” American town without turning it into a finger-wagging speech.